1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to the supervision of contacts in a contact handling system. More specifically, the disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring communication of contacts for identifying contacts for potential supervision.
2. The Relevant Technology
An important activity in managing a contact handling system regards the monitoring of agents for evaluation and training purposes. The traditional contact handling system consisted at one time of a call center composed of rows of telephone-based agents who make or answer telephone calls. Over time, contact handling systems have evolved to handle contacts over a variety of media types (telephone, fax, email, SMS, instant message, etc.).
Contact handling system supervisors are responsible for the performance of the agents assigned to them (the team). The supervisors often monitor communication, such as a phone call, between the agent and customer in order to evaluate the competence and effectiveness of their agents. Agent monitoring capabilities have improved over time, progressing from rudimentary eavesdropping or clumsy conferencing of phone calls to, in some instances, less-invasive systems where video, audio, or other communication from the agent and customer are combined and made available to the supervisor. Many modern contact handling systems also allow the supervisor to communicate with an agent and/or customer, including communicating with the agent without the customer being aware of it.
Supervisors monitor agents for a number of reasons, including: (1) on-the-job training, (2) quality assurance, (3) triage, (4) takeover, and/or (5) poor team performance. These example reasons are discussed in more detail below.
1. On-the-Job Training.
Supervisors may monitor contacts to provide agents with on-the-job training. This is particularly useful with new agents and/or agents new to a product or process, as they can quickly progress from classroom training to taking contacts. Supervisors may monitor these early contacts and instruct the agent during contacts without the customer being aware of the supervisor. The industry often refers to this instruction during the contact as “coaching” or “agent whisper.” In urgent situations, the supervisor may need to speak to both the agent and the customer in order to correct a problem. This sudden interruption is often referred to in the industry as “barge in.”
2. Quality Assurance.
The supervisor monitors a customer contact to evaluate the performance of the agent in areas such accuracy (giving the proper information), attitude (positive and cheerful), competency (able to use the business software, negotiate resolutions), etc. Feedback is later given by the supervisor to the agent. There are often targets that supervisors must meet in terms of monitoring a certain number of contacts per new agent or a certain number of contacts per month per agent.
When a customer relationship is rapidly degrading during a contact (e.g. the customer becomes angry), the supervisor may monitor the contact and may coach the agent and/or barge in if needed to try to improve the customer relationship. For example, the supervisor can offer the customer discounts or incentives that the agent is not authorized to offer.
4. Takeover.
If the agent cannot or should not remain engaged with the customer, the supervisor may choose to barge in and remove the agent from the contact.
5. Poor Team Performance.
When a number of agents on the team are poorly trained or unmotivated, customers calling in to the team may become frustrated with the service being provided by the team, reflecting poorly on the company represented by the contact handling system. Typical indicators of poor team performance include:                contacts that have exceeded the average handling time;        contacts that have been transferred (re-skilled or re-agented);        contacts that have been refused (the agent's phone rings without answer); and        contacts that have been escalated to supervisors.        
Each of the foregoing example cases represents a risk to the perceived quality of service by the business, which by inference becomes a measure of the quality of care provided by the contact handling system. By monitoring the right contacts at the right time the supervisor can improve the quality of care indirectly (by increasing agent training levels and motivation) and directly (by triage or takeover of the customer contact).
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.